96pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2021 Pinot Noir Golden Mean is glossy and expressive this vintage. It comes from Pommard and Swan selection vines planted on east- and west-facing slopes, respectively. It begins with ringing tones of truffle, moss, allspice, cranberry and red cherry aromatics. The light-bodied palate is velvety and refreshing with a surprisingly concentrated core of perfumed fruit, and it has an expansive finish streaked with nuances of spice and earth.

96pts Jeb Dunnuck

Produced from the Pommard and Swan clones, the 2021 Pinot Noir Golden Mean is a jeweled ruby with a purple tinge and reveals aromas that are fresh and lifted with spice, including pure black raspberry, violets, and pine. Medium-bodied and taking on more concentration in its ripe tannins and notes of dark berries and turned earth, it has fresh lift and a long finish. This beautiful wine will take some time to reveal its full spectrum.

95pts James Suckling

This is tight and tannin driven with hibiscus and other floral aromas as well as dark fruits. Medium to full body with a juicy and flavorful character yet the fine tannins frame it and keep it together. Racy. A blend of Swan and Pommard 4. Delicious now but will age beautifully.

94pts Wine Spectator

A fairly rich version with nice range, leading with hibiscus and pomegranate notes, followed quickly by crushed mulberry and raspberry flavors. Shows lively energy and flickers of tea and spices that help drive the finish, where the fruit takes an encore.

Winemaker Notes

Golden Mean is a mathematical term for the beautiful middle between two opposites, and this wine is so named because it is a blend of two distinctive clonal selections, Swan and Pommard. The Swan clone shines first with opening notes of delicate rose petals, strawberries, cranberries and a hint of violets, followed by more robust Pommard aromas of brambly blackberries fresh off the vine, with hints of iron and blood orange. The palate showcases an ethereal entry from the Swan and ends with the sublime texture of Pommard, but it’s impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. This wine isn't just a beautiful middle – it's more than the sum of its parts.

Winery Notes

Wayfarer was founded as a secluded farmstead more than 40 years ago, before its locale was defined as the now coveted Fort Ross Seaview AVA. In 1989, Jayson Pahlmeyer's winemaker, Helen Turley, discovered the site for sale down the road from her Marcassin vineyard. She introduced Pahlmeyer, declaring it destined to become "the La Tache of California."
In tandem with his daughter Cleo and renowned winemaker Bibiana Gonzales Rave, Pahlmeyer drives to make intricate wines of transcendence, answering to powerful, ever-unpredictable climate that rewards only the most observant and meticulous. It is an endeavor of true passion, an experiment that pushes the exactitude of winegrowing and winemaking to the farthest limits.